The SIAI S.16 was an Italian passenger flying boat, later serving as a military reconnaissance-bomber, claimed to be the most successful flying-boat of the 1920s.
The first flying boat designed by the Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia (SIAI) for use as a civilian passenger carrier, the S.13, was a biplane flying boat with room for five passengers. The S.16 was powered by a single Fiat A.12bis engine. Military versions were also developed with a bow cockpit for an observer-gunner and bomb racks fitted underneath the wings. The military version was sold to Brazil, the Soviet Union, Spain, and Turkey.
After a three-week stay in Tokyo, Pinedo and Campanelli began their return journey to Rome on 17 October, a 15,000-mile (24,000-km) trip that they made in only 22 days – an impressive speed at the time – with stops at Kagoshima in Japan; Shanghai in China; Hong Kong; Haiphong and Saigon in French Indochina; Bangkok in Siam; Rangoon in Burma; Calcutta, Benares, Delhi, and Karachi in British India; Bandar Abbas in Persia; Baghdad in Iraq; Alexandretta in Turkey; and Taranto in Italy before arriving in Rome on 7 November. The entire journey, made without special preparations for support at any of the stops and involving two long flights – of 600 miles (970 km) and 1,200 miles (1,900 km) – across the dry land of the Indian Subcontinent in a non-amphibious flying boat, had proceeded without major incident and had required only one engine change, carried out at Tokyo. Pinedo and Campanelli had carried a jib sail and boat rudder to allow them to sail their flying boat through unfamiliar harbors in awkward winds, but they never used either the sail or the rudder during their expedition. The aviators had covered about 35,000 miles (56,000 km) in 370 hours of flight time in 80 stages over the course of 202 days, and a 1925 issue of the magazine Flight described their journey as "the most extensive aerial tour on record."[1][2][3] The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale gave Pinedo its highest award, the FAI Gold Air Medal, for the flight, the first time it had awarded the medal.[4] The Regia Aeronautica promoted Pinedo to colonnello (colonel) upon his return from the flight,[4] and Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III made him a marchese (marquis).[4]
Variantsedit
S.16
Production passenger carrier powered by a Fiat A.12bis engine.
S.16bis
Improved civilian variant with reinforced hull, increased fuel capacity and a larger propeller.
S.16bis M
Military version of the S.16bis with bow cockpit, Soviet-operated versions (80 aircraft) were designated by them the S-16bis, some were licence-built in Spain.
S.16ter
Improved military variant first used by the Italian Navy from 1924, powered by a Lorraine-Dietrich 12Db vee piston engine.
siai, italian, passenger, flying, boat, later, serving, military, reconnaissance, bomber, claimed, most, successful, flying, boat, 1920s, francesco, pinedo, gennariello, landing, brisbane, river, australia, 1925, during, rome, australia, tokyo, rome, flight, r. The SIAI S 16 was an Italian passenger flying boat later serving as a military reconnaissance bomber claimed to be the most successful flying boat of the 1920s SIAI S 16Francesco de Pinedo s SIAI S 16ter Gennariello landing on the Brisbane River in Australia in 1925 during his Rome Australia Tokyo Rome flight Role Passenger and military flying boatNational origin ItalyManufacturer SIAIDesigner Rafaele ConflentiFirst flight 1919Primary user Italian NavySIAI S 16SIAI S 16bis Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operations 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Specifications S 16ter 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Notes 7 2 BibliographyDesign and development editThe first flying boat designed by the Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia SIAI for use as a civilian passenger carrier the S 13 was a biplane flying boat with room for five passengers The S 16 was powered by a single Fiat A 12bis engine Military versions were also developed with a bow cockpit for an observer gunner and bomb racks fitted underneath the wings The military version was sold to Brazil the Soviet Union Spain and Turkey Operations editIn 1925 the Italian aviator Francesco de Pinedo 1890 1933 a tenente colonnello lieutenant colonel in the Regia Aeronautica Italian Royal Air Force used an SIAI S 16ter he named Genariello for a record setting flight from Rome to Australia and Tokyo in order to demonstrate his idea that seaplanes were superior to landplanes for long distance flights On 21 April Pinedo and his mechanic Ernesto Campanelli departed Rome aboard Gennariello They stopped first at Brindisi in Italy then at Leros in Greece Baghdad in Iraq Bushehr and Chabar in Persia Karachi Bombay Cocanada and Calcutta in British India Akyab Rangoon Tavoy and Mergui in Burma Phuket in Siam Penang in British Malaya Singapore Batavia Surabaya Sumbawa and Kupang in the Netherlands East Indies and Broome Carnarvon Perth Bunbury Albany Israelite Bay and Adelaide in Australia before reaching Melbourne where they arrived on 10 June and spent 36 days 1 2 3 On 16 July Pinedo and Campanelli flew on to Sydney where they spent another three weeks Resuming their flight on 6 August they visited Brisbane Rockhampton Townsville Innisfail Cooktown and Thursday Island in Australia Merauke Dobo Amboina and Menado in the Netherlands East Indies Cebu Atimonan Manila and Aparri in the Philippines Tamsui on Formosa Shanghai in China Mokpo in Korea and Yamakawa and Kagoshima in Japan before arriving in Tokyo on 26 September 1 2 3 After a three week stay in Tokyo Pinedo and Campanelli began their return journey to Rome on 17 October a 15 000 mile 24 000 km trip that they made in only 22 days an impressive speed at the time with stops at Kagoshima in Japan Shanghai in China Hong Kong Haiphong and Saigon in French Indochina Bangkok in Siam Rangoon in Burma Calcutta Benares Delhi and Karachi in British India Bandar Abbas in Persia Baghdad in Iraq Alexandretta in Turkey and Taranto in Italy before arriving in Rome on 7 November The entire journey made without special preparations for support at any of the stops and involving two long flights of 600 miles 970 km and 1 200 miles 1 900 km across the dry land of the Indian Subcontinent in a non amphibious flying boat had proceeded without major incident and had required only one engine change carried out at Tokyo Pinedo and Campanelli had carried a jib sail and boat rudder to allow them to sail their flying boat through unfamiliar harbors in awkward winds but they never used either the sail or the rudder during their expedition The aviators had covered about 35 000 miles 56 000 km in 370 hours of flight time in 80 stages over the course of 202 days and a 1925 issue of the magazine Flight described their journey as the most extensive aerial tour on record 1 2 3 The Federation Aeronautique Internationale gave Pinedo its highest award the FAI Gold Air Medal for the flight the first time it had awarded the medal 4 The Regia Aeronautica promoted Pinedo to colonnello colonel upon his return from the flight 4 and Italy s King Victor Emmanuel III made him a marchese marquis 4 Variants editS 16 Production passenger carrier powered by a Fiat A 12bis engine S 16bis Improved civilian variant with reinforced hull increased fuel capacity and a larger propeller S 16bis M Military version of the S 16bis with bow cockpit Soviet operated versions 80 aircraft were designated by them the S 16bis some were licence built in Spain S 16ter Improved military variant first used by the Italian Navy from 1924 powered by a Lorraine Dietrich 12Db vee piston engine S 23 Simplified variant for training one built Operators edit nbsp nbsp BrazilBrazilian Navy 15 nbsp SpainSpanish Navy 26 including 10 built locally nbsp Kingdom of ItalyRegia Marina 103 nbsp LatviaLatvian Navy 6 nbsp TurkeyTurkish Air Force 12 nbsp Soviet UnionSoviet Navy 80 Specifications S 16ter editData from 5 General characteristicsCrew two or three pilot observer Length 9 89 m 32 ft 5 25 in Wingspan 15 50 m 50 ft 10 25 in Height 3 67 m 12 ft 0 5 in Empty weight 840 kg 1 852 lb Gross weight 2 652 kg 5 847 lb Powerplant 1 Lorraine Dietrich 12Db vee piston engine 298 kW 400 hp Performance Maximum speed 194 km h 120 mph 100 kn Range 1 000 km 621 mi 540 nmi Service ceiling 4 000 m 13 125 ft Armament 1 7 7mm 0 303in machine gun ring mounting at bow cockpit 230kg 485lb of bombs on underwing racksSee also editRelated lists List of Interwar military aircraft List of flying boats and floatplanesReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to SIAI S 16 Notes edit a b c italystl com De Pinedo s Milestone Flights Australia Japan America a b c Anonymous Italian Flight to Tokyo Accomplished Flight October 1 1925 p 644 a b c Anonymous Rome Tokyo Rome Marquis de Pinedo s Grand Air Tour Successfully Concluded Flight November 12 1925 p 756 a b c aeronautica difesa it Il portale dell Aeronautica Militare Francesco De Pinedo il trasvolatore Orbis 1985 page 2853 Bibliography edit Taylor Michael J H 1989 Jane s Encyclopedia of Aviation London Studio Editions The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Part Work 1982 1985 Orbis Publishing Hirschauer Louis Dollfus Charles eds 1921 L Annee Aeronautique 1920 1921 Paris Dunod p 57 Portals nbsp Italy nbsp Companies nbsp Aviation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SIAI S 16 amp oldid 1136642875, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
